Safety cbochet -iteedle



E. R. MITCHELL. SAFETY CROCHET NEEDLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4| 1919- g 4731425 INVENTOR.

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I M 26%?TTORNEY.

SAFETY CROCHET-NEEDLE.

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Application eieae rn e, 1919. Serial No. 287,507.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Eva R. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Worcester, county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Crochet-Needles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crochet needles and has for its obj ect to provide a novel crochet needle which will promote safety in the use of the same.

A further object of this invention is to rovide a crochet needle with a form of shank that will adapt the hook end thereof to move over the operators finger in such a manner as to avoid chafing, scratching or otherwise injuring her finger.

Another object of this invention is to provide a crochet needle with a safety hook by means of which to guard against running the hook itself against the operators finger as is true of the common crochet needle.

It is Well known that the crochet needles now in use have straight shanks, the hooks being provided upon these straight shanks. When the ordinary needle is in. use for crochet work the hook is drawn back and forth over the operators finger, in the usual manner, and at times the shank of the needle carrying the hook presses against this linger as the instrument is worked back and forth, thus causing the hook to slide over the linger in the pull back operation of the needle, and tend to scratch it. As the needle is operated repeatedly it will be seen that the shoulder of the hook will irritate the operators finger which is a constant source of annoyance.

To overcome this objectionable feature in crocheting T have devised a simple, inexpensive, and highly eiiicient crochet needle which instead of having a uniformly straight shank is formed with a curved outer portion, the

curve extending sidewise as well as edgewise This causes the hook to be deflected and produces a hump or bend on the shank which comes directly in contact with the operators hand in the act of crocheting, and this bend having a smooth surface the needle will glide freely in all positions without contact between its hook and the operators finger.

With the above and further objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disof the needle.

closed in the drawings andspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views,

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgtggnt fl A 2% 192m 7 Figure 1 1s a top plan view of a crochet needle embodying the principle of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the applica- K011. of my invention, and

Flgfld is an exaggerated detail view of my invention.

Referring to the. present drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention 1 designates a suitable handle of a crochet needle, this handle having a central longitudinal flat portion 2 but otherwise continuing to extend in a straight line as at 3. The shank portion 3 gradually tapers toward its extremity so as to provide a long, slender portion, it being understood that the hook 5 is formed integrally upon the tapering shank 4.

In carrying. out the novel idea of my invention 1 curve the straight shank portion 3 as at 4, said curve producing a bend and arcuate portion so as to provide a smooth surface which may slidably contact with the operators finger should it engage the same. This bend deflects the outermost portion of the needle laterally of the main axis of the shank so that the hook 5, being located upon this deflected portion of the needle will be disposed out of axial alinement with shank 1. The shoulder of this hook 5 will thus slant obliquely of the axis of the needle as fully illustrated inFig. 2. The curved tapering portion 4 of the needle is further bent or curved as at (3 in a plane at right angles to the first-named curve 4 and it is this arrangement which disposes the shoulder of the hook as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, considering the flat portion 2 of the needle as the side thereof it will be seen that the shank curves laterally or sidewise of the needle as well as edgewisc thereof, this double curvature being essential in order to assure that the hook proper of the needle is spaced laterally from the straight line of the needle shank in whatever position the needle 7 may be in when in use by the operator. In Fig. 3 the dotted lines extended beyond the shank 3 shows how the ordinary straight shank needle bears upon the operators finger with the hook rubbing against the finger,

'WllllG the full line portion of the shank illus- 7 in said figure, the hook 5 not making contact at all With the finger the curve 6' helping to avoid this. r

Numerous modifications may be resorted to in practice Without changing my invention materially. V 1

What I claim and desire to protect is': 1. A crochet needle having a handle and a shank curved laterally of the axis 01": the handle, said shank being further curved in a plane at right angles to the first named curve.

2. A crochet needle having a long slender shank gradually tapering toward its hook end, the outermost portion of said shank curving laterally of the main axis of said shank and carrying the hook, said shank being further curved in a plane to an angle to the first curve. A V V -Signed at the city of VVo'rcester, and State of Massachusetts, April 2nd, 1919. V 7

EVA R. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BAFF, 'R. E. DONAHUE. 

